


In the Quiet

by Rehearsal_Dweller



Category: Star vs. The Forces Of Evil
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-29
Updated: 2017-08-29
Packaged: 2018-12-21 05:16:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,019
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11937093
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rehearsal_Dweller/pseuds/Rehearsal_Dweller
Summary: "But the fact is, given the choice, I'd always choose you."





	In the Quiet

“I thought you were dead.”

Star’s ears were still ringing, her vision still a little blurry at the edges, her skin still felt a little sizzly. _She_ kind of thought she’d been dead.

“Star?” said Marco, waving a hand in front of her face. “Are you okay?”

She opened her mouth to say something, but found herself swooning instead. Marco caught her and scooped up her legs remarkably easily. He carried her inside the castle, past the throne room and the lower floors, all the way up to her long abandoned bedroom. She’d only brought him here once, but he’d spent more time here than she had lately. Didn’t have to ask directions once.

“How ya doin, Star?” he asked after gently putting her down on an oversized armchair, concern evident in his voice.

“M’fine,” replied Star. “M’just – m’just a little tired.”

Marco chuckled in that nervous way he sometimes did. “I guess that’s understandable. I’ve never seen you do anything like that before.”

“Probably won’t again, either,” Star said, her voice a little stronger. “Feels like I was lit on fire.”

“Kinda looked like it, too,” Marco replied. He sat down on the floor facing her. “Look, Star, I – I don’t want to start a whole –“ he sighed, running his hands through his hair – “I don’t want to start a thing, I know this isn’t the right time but – Star, I really missed you.”

Star could feel her face going red. “I missed you, too.”

There was something unspoken hanging between them, a heavy weight of anxiety and fear that had been resting on them for the last few weeks. The ghost of the last thing she’d said to him when she left. The dull ache of the things he’d never said back.

She realized they’d been staring at each other for a very long, very silent moment, but couldn’t quite bring herself to look away from him. She found herself studying every minute change to his face – had he always had those dark circles under his eyes? There was a scratch on his cheek, was that from when she blew everything up?

How did he even _get_ here? Why?

Somehow, though, none of this came out of her. They just kept looking at each other.

Outside, night fell.

Star and Marco were still in her room, quiet. They moved eventually, to lay on her bed in sleepy silence. The move had gone like this – she opened her mouth like she was going to speak, closed it again. Marco did the same. Then Star jerked her head toward the bed, eyebrows wrinkled questioningly. Marco nodded, held out his hand to help her up. Then they’d melted, exhausted, onto expensive if slightly dusty sheets, but hadn’t fallen asleep.

They were on their sides, facing each other, Marco’s head pillowed on his arm, Star’s on an a pillow. In the soft light of Mewni’s moon, it was harder to tell that they were both a little the worse for wear.

Sometime, Star didn’t know when, she drifted into the easiest sleep she’d had in ages. She woke some time later to a wash of pinky gold light that told her it was just dawn. Marco was still asleep, relaxed.

“I’m so sorry, Marco,” she mumbled, finally finding her voice. Once she’d started, words kept tumbling out. “I’m _so_ sorry that you got tangled up in all this. You’ve been hurt and almost killed and I – I don’t know if I could live with myself if something happened to you because of me, because you knew me, I just – oh, Marco. I’m so sorry.”

“Why?” Marco replied. “You’re my best friend. I knew what I was getting into – I almost got killed the day we met.” He opened one eye, squinting at her. “I stuck around anyway, Star, ‘cause I –“

Marco pushed himself up onto his elbow. “I love you, Star. I don’t mean that in the like, _like_ kinda way,” he glanced away, flushing a little bit, but pushed on, “I mean you’re important to me and I care about you, and I kinda don’t get a choice about it.” He reached over and touched her cheek gently, before abruptly pulling his hand back, going a little pink again. “You’re one of the most important people in my life.”

“You’re – you’re important to me, too,” replied Star, a little thrown off guard. Marco had clearly had a little more time to think about this than she had while they’d been apart. “I thought I was never going to see each other again, and I was –“

“- devastated,” finished Marco. “I know. I had some, uh, embarrassing days myself.” He flopped onto his back, staring up at the canopy. “And I admit that maybe travelling to another dimension and joining the resistance might not be the healthiest thing I’ve ever done.”

Star giggled despite herself. “Yeah, not really.”

“But you know what?” Marco continued, “I’d rather be in danger with you than totally safe and alone. And I know that’s a bit of a – I don’t know. I know it’s questionable. But the fact is, given the choice, I’d always choose you.”

“I’d choose you, too,” Star replied softly.

Marco rolled onto his side to look at her again. “I know.”

“I know we’ve got a lot of – of other junk to work out,” said Star. “But I’m glad you’re here.”

Marco smiled. “Me too, Star.”

Star blinked hard, trying to get rid of the burny prickly feeling building in her eyes. A few tears rolled down her cheeks. She didn’t feel sad exactly, more overwhelmed. Full of love for her best friend and caught by everything that had been happening the last few weeks, and now that she was safe and content again it was all pouring out of her without her control, but the only person who could see her was Marco and Marco wouldn’t judge. Marco didn’t care, he understood.

She thought, maybe, that he might be crying too.

His arms were around her, and everything was okay. They were safe, and for now that was all they needed.


End file.
